Graphite foam technology developed at Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) has clearly demonstrated remarkable thermal properties performance when compared to other more commonly used materials, such as aluminum, copper, and other metals. Graphite foam has found applications in a broadening array of useful products such as heat sinks, heat exchangers, brake disc components, clutch components, friction drives, motor brushes, Peltier devices, i.e. thermal cyclers, and others, for example. However, the relatively low mechanical properties thereof have proven impractical for some applications. In order to improve the mechanical properties, there have been a variety of efforts to infiltrate monolithic graphite foam substrates with metals and epoxies to render a finished product with improved structural integrity as well as excellent thermal conductivity.
The following U.S. patents and U.S. patent application publications are specifically referenced and incorporated herein in their entirety by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,506 entitled “Process for Making Carbon Foam” issued to James W. Klett on Mar. 7, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,032 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Mar. 14, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,286 entitled “Method of Making a Functionally Graded Material” issued to Robert J. Lauf, et al. on Jun. 19, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,485 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam And Composites” issued to James W. Klett on Jul. 17, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,375 entitled “Pitch Based Foam with Particulate” issued to James W. Klett on Sep. 11, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,344,159 entitled “Method for Extruding Pitch Based Foam” issued to James W. Klett on Feb. 5, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,343 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam and Composites” issued to James W. Klett on May 14, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,994 entitled “Method of Casting Pitch Based Foam” issued to James W. Klett on Jun. 4, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,149 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Jun. 4, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,935 entitled “Personal Cooling Air Filtering Device” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Aug. 13, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,443 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam and Composites” issued to James W. Klett on Dec. 2, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,842 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam and Composites” issued to James W. Klett on Dec. 16, 2003; U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,328 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam and Composites and Uses Thereof” issued to James W. Klett, at al. on Jan. 6, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,505 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Aug. 24, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,809,304 entitled “High Efficiency, Oxidation Resistant Radio Frequency Susceptor” issued to Theodore M. Besmann, et al. on Oct. 26, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,151 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett on Mar. 21, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,755 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam and Composites and Use Thereof” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Jul. 4, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,214 entitled “Humidifier for Fuel Cell Using High Conductivity Carbon Foam” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Dec. 12, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,019 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Jan. 2, 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,237 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Jan. 23, 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 7,670,682 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Producing a Carbon Based Foam Article Having a Desired Thermal-Conductivity Gradient” issued to James W. Klett, et al. on Mar. 2, 2010; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020023858 entitled “Pitch Based Foam and Apparatus for Extruding Pitch Based Foam” filed by James W. Klett on Feb. 28, 2002; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030115753 entitled “Pitch-Based Carbon Foam Heat Sink with Phase Change Material” filed by James W. Klett, et al. on Jun. 26, 2003; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030162007 entitled “Energy Converting Article and Method Of Making” filed by James W. Klett, et al. on Aug. 28, 2003; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090049871 entitled “Thermal Control Structure and Garment” filed by James W. Klett, et al. on Feb. 26, 2009; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20100186422 entitled “Efficient and Light Weight Thermoelectric Waste Heat Recovery System” filed by Jihui Yang, et al. on Jul. 29, 2010.